Why are you a Freelancer?

Are you a Freelancer? Do you want to succeed as a Freelancer? Surely you do. Surely, everyone wants the financial independence, the choice of work hours, the freedom to move and the endless possibilities of working for your own self.

No more rushing through morning traffic, no more compulsion of having to be at your desk in office every single day at 9 AM, no more having to say “yes” to a task you know is bad. You can take a break when you want, work when you want or plan a month’s holiday and take your family somewhere you have always wanted to go.

Yes that’s the dream, right? But why then can only some Freelancers live the dream and make even six figures a year while many struggle to find a job worth $25? What separates a successful Freelancer from a struggling one? It’s 2017 and surely there are enough jobs available online.

Do you count yourself among the ones who “survive and thrive” or are you struggling to make ends meet, overworked and underpaid?

The answer for you, is your answer to the question, Why are you a Freelancer?

I am a Freelancer because my family, to me, is above everything else. And I want to give them the most valuable possession I have. My time. So Freelancing for me is a means to earn time for my family. My schedule, every single day is flexible because I am a Freelancer. A traditional job cannot give me that.

Every single decision I make as a Freelancer is guided by my purpose to remain flexible with my time. My “why” makes me think long term. Every decision I make, is for the long term. I am not thinking days or weeks but months and years.

This starts from the very basic process of creating my profile on a site like Upwork, to my Proposal to my clients, to how I interact with them to the work I deliver. I am in this for the long haul. I am thinking of the long term value of a client when I talk to them. So I am relaxed, able to offer long term benefits (like multi-year support) and I DO NOT go after projects merely for short term gain.

I make every possible suggestion to my clients to help their projects succeed. I desperately want them to succeed. Because when clients are successful in their own businesses, it only means more and better work for me.

See the results for yourself,

I have several clients outside of Upwork, so the above is only a portion of my Freelance earnings.

What then is your reason? Why are YOU a Freelancer?

Are you a Freelancer because you cannot find a job? Or do you just want to make some extra cash with freelancing “on the side”?

If those are your reasons, will you then be able to deliver long term value to people who hire you?

Can you absolutely guarantee that the work you produce is the best it can be. Are you able to stay relaxed, professional and deal with the business side of freelancing, the negotiations, the contract, the payments, the support etc. professionally? with class?

If not, then you know why you aren’t getting the jobs you want.

To be successful in Freelancing, like everything else in life, figure out the answer to “Why I am doing it?” and you will then find it easy to answer “How” you have to do it and “What” you have to do to be successful.

Disclaimer: This post was inspired by Simon Sinek’s TEDx Talk which I have embedded below. It will be one of the best 18 minutes you spend.